Pacific yew

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Pacific yew
• western yew
• Canadian Yew

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Taxus bourcieri
• Taxus occidentalis
• Taxus lindleyana
• Taxus baccata var. brevifolia
• Taxus baccata subsp. brevifolia
• Taxus brevifolia var. polychaeta
• Taxus brevifolia var. reptaneta
• Taxus brevifolia subsp. reptaneta
• Taxus brevifolia subsp. polychaeta

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Pinidae. Within the order Pinales, it is classified under the family Taxaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Taxus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across the northern reaches of western North America. In the subarctic region of America, its presence can be found within Alaska. Moving south, it inhabits parts of Western Canada, specifically within the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The species also extends into the Northwestern United States, covering areas such as Idaho. Finally, its geographical range includes the mountainous terrain of Montana.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Taxus brevifolia is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. As a member of the phanerophyte life forms, specifically categorized under both phanerophyte classifications, it maintains its photosynthetic buds well above the ground level, typically growing as a woody shrub or small tree. This growth habit enables the plant to withstand seasonal variations by protecting its vital structures, supporting its long-term survival strategy within its natural ecological niche.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Taxus brevifolia is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, which typically reaches a mean height of approximately 12 m. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies and functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite. Furthermore, it is not an epiphyte and possesses a self-supporting structure, meaning it does not function as a climber, liana, or vine.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Taxus brevifolia is characterized by a slow metabolic rate and specialized biochemical processes adapted to its temperate forest habitat. A fundamental component of its energy acquisition is its photosynthetic pathway, which follows the C3 mechanism; this involves the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the enzyme RuBisCO within the mesophyll cells, typically resulting in the production of three-carbon compounds during the Calvin cycle. This C3 pathway dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and gas exchange strategies, which are closely linked to its environmental response to light availability and moisture levels. Furthermore, the physiological profile of the species is defined by the complex biosynthesis of taxane diterpenoids, a secondary metabolic process that requires highly coordinated enzymatic pathways to produce bioactive compounds. The plant's resource allocation is geared toward long-term survival and structural integrity, supported by a slow growth physiology that prioritizes the synthesis of dense lignified tissues and defensive chemical metabolites.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Taxus brevifolia is characterized by a specific seed morphology and a specialized dispersal strategy. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a highly consistent mass, with a recorded mean of 0.0297851 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.0294 g to a maximum of 0.031752 g. Regarding its reproductive ecology, the plant utilizes a zoochorous dispersal syndrome, indicating that its seeds are primarily distributed by animals, which plays a critical role in the spatial spread and colonization of the species within its habitat.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Seed mass max:

0.031752 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0297851 g

Seed mass min:

0.0294 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Taxus brevifolia has 3 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf, seed.

Fruit

1. Foodborne pathogens and disease

Leaf

1. Foodborne pathogens and disease

Seed

1. Foodborne pathogens and disease

Chemicals

Taxus brevifolia has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include TAXOL, paclitaxel, Taxanes, Cephalomannine, Taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene.

TAXOL

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics
3. Trends in plant science
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Journal of natural products

paclitaxel

1. Australian family physician
2. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Phytotherapy research : PTR
5. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Taxanes

1. The oncologist
2. Pharmaceutical research
3. Journal of natural products

Cephalomannine

1. Journal of natural products
2. Pharmaceutical research

Taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene

1. The Journal of organic chemistry
2. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics

10-Deacetylbaccatin III

1. Pharmaceutical research

10-Deacetyltaxol

1. Pharmaceutical research

10-Deacetyltaxol 7-Xyloside

1. Pharmaceutical research

10-deacetyl taxol

1. Pharmaceutical research

10-deacetyl taxol C

1. Pharmaceutical research

Activities

Taxus brevifolia has 2 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antineoplastic.

Anticancer

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Trends in plant science
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
4. Journal of natural products
5. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Antineoplastic

1. Journal of clinical pharmacology

Conditions

Taxus brevifolia has 8 reported investigations on conditions identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include ovarian cancer, breast cancer, cancer, lung cancer, malignant melanoma.

Ovarian cancer

1. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego
2. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Breast cancer

1. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Cancer

1. Australian family physician
2. Drug news & perspectives
3. Journal of natural products

Lung cancer

1. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Malignant melanoma

1. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego

Melanoma

1. Journal of clinical pharmacology

Non-small cell lung cancer

1. Journal of clinical pharmacology

Tumor

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Taxus brevifolia has 7 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include bark, Taxus brevifolia extracts, aqueous extracts, bark extracts, cultured needles.

Bark

1. Pharmaceutical research
2. Journal of natural products

Taxus brevifolia extracts

1. Journal of natural products

Aqueous extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Bark extracts

1. Journal of natural products

Cultured needles

1. Journal of natural products

Hplc fractions of these extracts

1. Journal of natural products

Needle extracts

1. Journal of natural products